1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to flossing devices and their methods of use, and more particularly to a flossing device that contains both floss and mouthwash, clamps the floss for use, and sprays the mouthwash down the length of clamped floss and between the user's teeth when desired.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art teaches various flossing devices that combine a supply of floss with various locking arms to hold the floss for use. These include Guadiana, U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,956, Barth, U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,256, and Lang, U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,080. Similar devices were developed as early as 1879. Some of the earliest patents of this nature include Stafford, U.S. Pat. No. 1,700,690, Roberts, U.S. Pat. No. 1,464,013, and Merrill, U.S. Pat. No. 213,997. The advantage of these devices is that the dispenser serves the second purpose of holding the floss for easy use, without requiring the user to use his fingers to hold the floss.
The prior art also teaches various devices that contain both dental floss and mouthwash or other antiseptic fluids. Roth, U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,510, teaches a jar of mouthwash having a separate container of dental floss, the dental floss being pulled across an applicator that is soaking in the mouthwash. Nagel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,195, teaches a jar of mouthwash that contains a supply of dental floss, the dental floss being actually soaking within the mouthwash. None of these devices, however, teach a structure that can actually be used to facilitate flossing.
Finally, the prior art also teaches various devices that combine flossing devices with mouthwash dispensing devices. Kirby, U.S. Pat. No. 3,368,553, teaches a tooth cleaning and massage device that can be adapted, in two different embodiments, to either clamp a length of dental floss for use in flossing, or dispense a supply of mouthwash. Borsum, U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,247, teaches a hydraulic-filament dental device that both clamps a length of dental floss and shoots a stream of fluid in the vicinity of the floss, the stream of fluid thereby cleaning the user's teeth while he flosses. Ting, U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,908, teaches a dental appliance having means for flossing and a means for discharging a jet of water closely adjacent to the floss to rinse the teeth being flossed. These devices are designed to be hooked up to an external source of water such as a pump or a water faucet. Furthermore, the dental floss is maintained separately from the water. Finally, the water is dispensed from a conduit separate from the floss.
The prior art teaches flossing devices that include both a supply of dental floss and a supply of fluid. However, the prior art does not teach that a device that stores the dental floss and mouthwash in the same container as well as dispense the two products from the same conduit. The present invention achieves this structure in a very simple, easy to manufacture device that fulfills the needs of the user, and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.